Exercise bicycle

ABSTRACT

An exercise bicycle including a body that supports a seat and handle bars. Supported by the body is a crank assembly. The crank assembly includes a shaft and crank arm that are variable in length.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Australian application no. 2010903682, entitled An Exercise Bike, filed Aug. 16, 2010.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to exercise bicycles and more particularly to exercise bicycles that have crank assemblies with pedals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically exercise bicycles have a body that rests on a supporting floor. The bicycle has a crank assembly with pedals that are engaged by the user to cause rotation of the crank assembly. The crank assembly is operatively associated with a resistance mechanism so that the user needs to apply effort to the crank assembly to cause rotation thereof. Often this resistance assembly is adjustable. Still further the exercise bicycle is provided with a seat and handle bars.

In the above discussed crank assembly the pedal is at a fixed radius from the rotational axis of the crank assembly. A disadvantage of this crank assembly is that it does not suit people of different heights.

Embodiments of the present invention overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

SUMMARY

There is disclosed herein an exercise bicycle including, a body to engage a supporting surface to prevent movement of the exercise bicycle relative to the support surface during use of the exercise bicycle; and a crank assembly including a crank shaft mounted in the body for rotation about a generally horizontal crank axis, a pair of crank arms fixed to the shaft at locations spaced longitudinally of the shaft, the arms extending from the shaft in opposite directions, a pedal mounted in each arm at a location spaced from the shaft, each pedal being rotatable about a pedal axis that is generally parallel to the crank axis, and wherein each pedal is positioned at a length from the shaft, the lengths being adjustable by operation of the arms.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, each arm includes a first member and a second member, the members being telescopically associated and including securing means to fix the members together to provide said length.

Also, in embodiments of the invention, said first member is hollow and said second member is telescopically received within said first member, said first member having a series of apertures and said second member having a projection to engage within a respective one of the apertures to provide said length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments of the invention, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of an exercise bicycle;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation of a crank arm employed in the exercise device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic front elevation of the arm of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted an exercise bicycle 10. The exercise bicycle 10 includes a body 11 that supports a seat and handle bars (not illustrated). The body 11 also includes supports 12 that engage a floor surface 13 to prevent movement of the exercise bicycle 10 over the surface 13 during use of the exercise bicycle 10.

Supported by the body 11 is a crank assembly 14. The crank assembly 14 includes a shaft 15 that extends through the body 11 and that is supported by the body 11 for rotation about a generally horizontal axis 16. At opposite ends of the shaft 15 are crank arms 17 of which only one arm 17 is illustrated. That is, on opposite sides of the body 11, there is an arm 17, with the arms 17 projecting in opposite directions radially from the axis 16. Each arm 17 includes a first member 18 and a second member 19.

To the outer extremity of each arm 17 there is secured a pedal 20. Each pedal 20 is secured to the arm 17 at a distance from the shaft 15. More particularly each pedal 20 is rotatable about a generally horizontal axis 22, with each axis 22 being spaced from the axis 16 by the distance 21.

Each arm 17 is of a telescopic construction in that each member 18 is hollow so as to have a longitudinal passage 23 within which the associated member 19 is telescopically located. Each pedal 20 is attached to its respective member 19 while each member 18 is attached to the shaft 15.

Each member 18 has two sets of apertures 24, with the sets being located on opposite sides of the member 18. The member 19 has mounted in it a pair of projections 25 that are urged outwardly by means of a spring 26. The projections 25 are locatable in the apertures 24. The length 21 can be varied by locating the projections 25 in different apertures 24.

In the above described embodiments, the length 21 can be varied to suit users of different heights and/or leg lengths, the length adjustment providing correspondingly larger repetitive arcs when arms 17 are rotated about axis 16.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise bicycle, comprising: a body to engage a supporting surface to prevent movement of the exercise bicycle relative to the support surface during use of the exercise bicycle; and a crank assembly including a crank shaft mounted in the body for rotation about a generally horizontal crank axis, a pair of crank arms fixed to the shaft at locations spaced longitudinally of the shaft, the arms extending from the shaft in opposite directions, a pedal mounted in each arm at a location spaced from the shaft, each pedal being rotatable about a pedal axis that is generally parallel to the crank axis, and wherein each pedal is positioned at a length from the shaft, the lengths being adjustable by operation of the arms.
 2. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein each arm includes a first member and a second member, the members being telescopically associated and including securing means to fix the members together to provide said length.
 3. The bicycle of claim 2, wherein said first member is hollow and said second member is telescopically received within said first member, said first member having a series of apertures and said second member having a projection to engage within a respective one of the apertures to provide said length.
 4. The bicycle of claim 3 wherein the apertures are arranged in two sets with the second member being located between the sets, the projection is a first projection, and the second member includes a second projection, each projection being operatively associated with a repeat of the sets.
 5. The bicycle of claim 4 wherein each projection is movable between a retracted position and an extended position engaged in a selected aperture to secure the first and second members together, thereby providing for length adjustment of a repetitive arc.
 6. The bicycle of claim 5 further including springs urging the projections to the extended positions. 